Cooling vibration exciter apparatus

Abstract

An exciter apparatus includes an exciter housing and at least one bearing means supporting at least one driven shaft carrying eccentric mass means. The exciter housing includes an array of bore passages extending from an upper wall of the exciter housing to a lower wall of the exciter housing. A mounting structure plate is securable to mineral processing or handling equipment intended to be vibrated by the exciter apparatus. The mounting structure plate has an array of fastener receiving zones, whereby elongated fastener means can pass through the bore passages from the upper wall to be engaged in the fastener receiving zones. The exciter apparatus further includes a pair of bearing members supporting a pair of driven shafts having intermeshing gears. Each of the bearing members and intermeshing gears have individual liquid lubrication sump zones separate from one another, and cooling means for cooling moving parts of the exciter apparatus.

The claims defining the invention are as follows: 
     
         1 . A vibration exciter apparatus configured, in use, to impose a vibration regime to vibration processing or handling equipment, said vibration exciter apparatus comprising:
 an exciter housing;   at least one bearing means, the at least one bearing means being operationally mounted in an internal zone of said exciter housing to be, in use, in/at least partial contact with liquid lubricant in a liquid lubricant sump zone with said at least one bearing means being lubricated by liquid lubricant from the liquid lubricant sump zone, the at least one bearing means supporting a driven shaft carrying eccentric mass means externally of said exciter housing; and   cooling means arranged to receive heat from the at least one bearing means and/or said liquid lubricant in said liquid lubricant sump zone and to convey said heat at least partially to a position externally of said exciter housing, wherein the cooling means is positioned to receive heat from each the at least one bearing means, wherein the vibration exciter apparatus includes two spaced said driven shafts, each being supported by the at least one bearing means, and wherein each said bearing means is positioned in a separate the liquid lubricant sump means located within the internal zone of the exciter housing.   
     
     
         2 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means includes a first heat receptor means positioned adjacent the or each said bearing means to, in use, receive heat from the or each said bearing means, and at least one heat flow path extending from the or each said first heat receptor means to a position externally of said exciter housing whereby heat flows along the or each said heat flow path to said position externally of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         3 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means is at least partially located within the or each said driven shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one bearing means includes a first bearing member and a second bearing member positioned axially spaced along said driven shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the cooling means includes one said first heat receptor means positioned adjacent the at least one bearing means with the heat flow path including a first section extending from the first heat receptor means towards a first end zone of the driven shaft, said cooling means further including a second said first heat receptor means positioned adjacent said bearing means with the heat flow path including a second section extending from the second heat receptor means towards a second end zone of the driven shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 5 . wherein said first heat receptor means and said second heat receptor means are part of a single structure. 
     
     
         7 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said first heat receptor means and said second heat receptor means are separate from one another. 
     
     
         8 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes a second cooling means section positioned in a wall region of said exciter housing with at least a first portion of said second cooling means section positioned adjacent the or each said liquid lubricant sump zone, whereby said first portion absorbs heat from said adjacent liquid lubricant sump zone and said second cooling means section transfers at least a portion of said absorbed heat to a position external of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         9 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means includes one or more heat pipes. 
     
     
         10 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means includes one or more heat flow passage means configured to receive heat from said bearing means and to transfer said received heat to a position externally of said exciter housing by passing a cooling gas or fluid flow through said heat flow passage means. 
     
     
         11 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said cooling means includes said heat flow passage means in the driven shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means further includes heat conductor element means embedded in the or each said driven shaft, said heat conductor element means moving heat to a position external of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         13 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising intermeshing gears each being carried by a separate said driven shaft, said intermeshing gears being lubricated by at least one of said intermeshing gears being at least partially immersed in lubricating liquid in a separate said liquid lubricant sump means. 
     
     
         14 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes at least one cooling means assembly including a first heat receptor part and a first heat dissipater part spaced from one another and connected by one or more heat pipes, the or each said heat pipe being connected to the first heat receptor part and to the first heat dissipater part such that heat is transferrable from the first heat receptor part to the or each said heat pipe and from the or each said heat pipe to the first heat dissipater part, said cooling means assembly being positioned in passage means formed in a said driven shaft wherein the first heat dissipater part is positioned externally of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         15 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said first heat receptor part is positioned adjacent a said bearing means. 
     
     
         16 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein each said cooling means assembly includes said first heat receptor part positioned within said passage means and a pair of said first heat dissipater parts each being located in said passage means and spaced from said first heat receptor part on opposite sides thereof, each of said first heat dissipater parts being connected by at least one said heat pipe to said first heat receptor part. 
     
     
         17 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein two said cooling means assemblies are provided in each said passage means. 
     
     
         18 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein each cooling means assembly includes multiple heat pipes. 
     
     
         19 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes at least one heat pipe positioned in a wall zone of said exciter housing, the or each said heat pipe having a first heat receptor means positioned adjacent the liquid lubricant sump zone to, in use, receive heat from the liquid lubricant in said liquid lubricant sump zone, each heat pipe having at least one heat flow path extending from the first heat receptor means to a position externally of said exciter housing whereby heat flows along the each heat flow path to said position externally of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         20 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes at least one heat flow passage means positioned in a wall zone of said exciter housing, said heat flow passage means enabling cooling fluid or cooling gas to flow there through to cool liquid lubricant in a said liquid lubricant sump zone. 
     
     
         21 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes heat conductor element means embedded in a wall zone of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         22 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling means includes cooling fan means to cool heat transferred to a position external of said exciter housing. 
     
     
         23 . The vibration exciter apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein said cooling fan means is carried by at least one driven shaft.